


Married in Every Sense of the Word

by plantyourtreeswithme



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Convenience Store, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Beautyswap, Bisexual Gaston (Disney), Blood and Gore, Body Image, Characters Watching Disney Movies, Cursed LeFou (Disney), Dead Gaston (Disney), Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, F/M, First Date, Gaston (Disney) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Gaston (Disney) Lives, Ghost Gaston (Disney), Good Person Gaston (Disney), Insecure LeFou (Disney), Insecurity, LeFou (Disney) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, LeFou Dies, Love Triangle, M/M, Multiple Crossovers, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prom, Rivalry, Role Reversal, Triggers, Tumblr Prompt, Wakes & Funerals, alternate universe - NASA
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-01 09:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 15,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11483292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plantyourtreeswithme/pseuds/plantyourtreeswithme
Summary: A never-ending compilation ofBeauty and the Beastficlets (mostly GaFou).





	1. Lumiѐre's

**Author's Note:**

> All of these were originally posted on [my tumblr](http://beloved-gafou.tumblr.com/tagged/ficlet)!
> 
> Many thanks to everyone who sent me prompts or made illustrations of these ficlets <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou and Gaston go on their first date as seventeen year olds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on May 28th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by [theunknownaura30](http://theunknownaura30.tumblr.com): _Gafou hs restaurant date fluff :)_

They're seventeen (junior year/year twelve) when LeFou asks Gaston if he wants to go out to dinner sometime, and Gaston is so flabbergasted that he says yes.

He lets LeFou pick the restaurant (Lumiѐre's, of course) and set a date (Saturday at seven), and Gaston is unbearably excited. A dinner date will make what they have official - they haven't exactly defined what they have  _is_ , but everyone knows they're basically dating. Ever since Gaston stopped flirting with Belle, it's been ridiculously obvious.

Gaston steals some of his dad's aftershave. LeFou considers wearing a suit (and the pink bow tie he always wears to formal events), but thinks better of it. This is just a casual thing, right? A casual date at a fancy, expensive French restaurant.

They meet each other there and are both ridiculously flustered. (They're teenagers on their first date, of course they're both blushing.) LeFou pulls Gaston's chair out for him when they're seated, and it's adorable. Gaston pretty much dies.

"Tonight, the chef recommends the  _escargot_ ," their waitress, Plumette, says, placing their menus down in front of them.

"What does it taste like?" Gaston asks.

"It has a certain...  _je ne sais quoi_ ," LeFou offers ~~, showing off his mad AP French skills~~.

"I don't know what that means."

They end up ordering something else (after Plumette explains that  _escargot_ is actually cooked snail), and the date goes pretty smoothly. They are content to sit and eat in comfortable silence, and when they've finished chewing ( _don't talk with your mouth open,_ Gaston thinks every five seconds), they talk about school. LeFou is planning to study abroad at some point - during college, perhaps, so he can go without his parents. He has relatives in Languedoc (southern France) who would be happy to be his host family.

Gaston recognizes the pianist in the corner. "I've heard him at galas," he says; "he's amazing. His wife is an opera singer, too."

For dessert, LeFou gets truffles and Gaston (ever the perpetrator of French stereotypes) orders crème brûlée  ~~that LeFou is definitely not stealing~~.

Gaston offers to pay, but LeFou refuses. "This is a date," he chides; " _I'm_ going to pay."

"But my parents -"

"I don't care how much money they gave you. Just because you're rich doesn't mean you have to pay. Let me treat  _you_ , Gaston."

(That's when Gaston does what all the people in movies do and leans over the table to kiss LeFou.)

When he gets home, Gaston buries his face in his pillow and can't stop smiling. LeFou is reduced to the same ridiculously happy state.

It went well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> send me gafou/stanfou prompts!! [ask box is always open ❀](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	2. Prom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou and Gaston attend prom _and_ spend the night together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on May 28th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _Highschool gafou: prom (and maybe them spending the night after)_.

They don't go their junior year/year twelve because they don't feel ready, so they go their senior year/year thirteen. It's especially special.

The theme of the dance is Enchanted Forest (of course). Belle - who's head of the prom committee, of course - picked it out; she's always loved fairy tales, and tonight is sure to be magical.

 _Of course_ Gaston rents a limo.

They go out for dinner with Belle and Adam (after pictures - LeFou insisted on hiring a  _professional_ ) at [Lumière's](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483292/chapters/25754433), one of their favorite haunts. Adam's friends with the head chef, so they get in for a much cheaper price. (Not for free, though. Lumière has a reputation to uphold.)

LeFou wears a  _pink tuxedo jacket_ and it's so ridiculously pretty that Gaston can barely breathe. His boyfriend is flawless. Wow.

Gaston's  _boutonnière_ is a pink rose. LeFou's is white.

LeFou spends most of prom convincing Gaston to slow dance with him. (It only worked after he said he would just go dance with Stanley or Tom instead.)

LeFou is crowned prom king! Gaston couldn't be happier. One of the triplets (he thinks it's Claudette) wins prom queen, which is okay. Gaston doesn't think much of them; it's obvious that they're all trying to hook up with him (or maybe it's just one? He can never tell which is which).

The afterparty is at a laser tag place. It's awesome.

By the end of the night, they're both so exhausted that Gaston offers to let LeFou stay over at his house. He accepts and collapses on Gaston's bed as soon as he's changed out of his tux. Gaston falls asleep next to him.

Gaston wakes up at 2 P.M. the next day. LeFou is still asleep, so he doesn't bother him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> send me gafou/stanfou prompts!! [ask box is always open ❀](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	3. Limits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaston is a fitness trainer and LeFou is somewhat insecure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on May 28th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _Modern AU where LeFou feels self conscious about his size and avoids Gaston while he tries some serious suspect methods to lose weight. Gaston is a fitness blogger, that usually posts quotes about discipline and pushing yourself to the limit. But he gets upset when he realizes that LeFou is avoiding him because of his weight. He starts posting all about body positivity and is forced to examine his posts about fitness being a punishment._
> 
> This post is about body positivity! I am 100% _not_ fatphobic - I absolutely adore LeFou, and I think he's extremely attractive the way he is. He's honestly so sassy and confident that I feel like this would never actually happen, but for the sake of the prompt, I'll ignore that :)

"When did you get a scale, LeFou?"

"Hmm?" LeFou peeks his head around the corner to look at Gaston, who is standing in the bathroom. "I've always had that."

"No, you haven't," Gaston protests. "I've never seen it before."

"It was in the closet, Gaston. And I took it out, so now it isn't in the closet anymore." He pauses and laughs. "Just like me!"

 

* * *

 

LeFou loves Gaston - he really does, and he thought it was funny for a person who has absolutely no qualms about their size to be dating a fitness trainer. But when one of his coworkers, Paulette, makes a rather back-handed comment about his stature, he's more than upset. He's devastated. Maybe it's time for things to change.

 

* * *

 

"Aren't you hungry?" Gaston asks on their twelfth date after LeFou refuses to order anything.

"I'm fine," he says, "I had a big breakfast."

"This is [your favorite restaurant](https://beloved-gafou.tumblr.com/post/161179975642/modern-au-where-lefou-feels-self-conscious-about)."

"I'm okay, I promise. I'll just have water."

 

* * *

 

Gaston texts him a few days later and asks if he wants to go to a new brunch place that just opened up (they specialize in eggs!), but he declines.

 

> **Reply 9:30:** I've got a meeting at work today sorry :(
> 
> **G  ♥ 9:32:** fou it's saturday
> 
> **Reply 9:33:** Oops I was looking at the wrong day in my calendar lol. Actually visiting parents today
> 
> **G  ♥ 9:33:** can't raincheck?
> 
> **Reply 9:34:** You and I will have to raincheck instead. They're my parents G. See you soon tho  ♥

 

* * *

 

LeFou scrolls through Gaston's Instagram and winces at a post captioned, "Push yourself to the limit!"

_I'm trying, Gaston._

 

* * *

 

When the diet pills come in the mail, he isn't there to sign for them.

 

> **G  ♥ 14:07:** hey where are you ?????
> 
> **Reply 14:13:** Out on a run. Come back later?
> 
> **G  ♥ 14:14:** you're running?????????????????
> 
> **G  ♥ 14:15:** didn't invite me?????????????????????
> 
> **Reply 14:15:** You wouldn't be able to keep up ღ
> 
> **G  ♥ 14:23:** hey please come home we need to talk
> 
> **Reply 14:25:** What's wrong?
> 
> **Reply 14:30:** Gaston??

 

* * *

 

"What the hell are these, LeFou?" Gaston asks when he gets home, shaking the bottle in his face. "Why did you order them?"

"It's probably the wrong house -"

"Don't lie to me, LeFou!" Gaston picks up the empty box and points at the mailing sticker. "It has your name and address on it. What's going on?"

"They... they're for me," he admits.

"What? Are you trying to  _overdose_? Do you know how dangerous -"

"No! No, no, no! I'm not trying to overdose, I swear! I - I'm on a diet, I'm trying to lose weight."

Gaston stops and looks at him, his arms hanging loose at his sides.

"LeFou, why are you... is this because of me?"

"Well - I mean,  _yes_ , kind of, but I swear it's not -"

Gaston sets the pill bottle down on the kitchen countertop and wraps his arms around LeFou, holding him so tight he can barely breathe.

 

* * *

 

 

> **no-ones-fit-as-gaston:** Hey guys! Something happened recently that made me realize that while discipline is a good thing, there's a fine line between healthy and unhealthy exercise. No matter your body size, it's important to love yourself and not push your limits. Being healthy is a process, and obsessing over the way you look isn't a part of that. If you know someone who feels unhappy with themselves, talk to them and offer to help in any way. Much love to those struggling to love themselves ♡ - G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> send me gafou/stanfou prompts!! [ask box is always open ❀](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	4. Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou convinces Gaston to spend a night in with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on May 28th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _Modern!gafou: Lefou making Gaston watch a fluff movie with him. Gaston tries to hide, but he's really enjoying it ♥_

" _Beauty and the Beast_?"

"No, thanks."

"I've never seen it before," LeFou says, taking it off of the shelf and looking at the back. "It's a Disney movie, so it's bound to be good."

"I'm not really into cartoons. That stuff's for kids."

"Fine, fine...  _Pirates of the Caribbean_? I've got all of them, we could have a marathon."

"Tacky."

"You have no taste. We're watching  _Zootopia_ , and that's final."

"I never agreed to this!" Gaston protests, but LeFou is already putting it in the Blu-ray player.

"Do you want any snacks?" LeFou calls from the kitchen. Gaston throws a blanket over himself and settles into the couch, putting his phone face-down on the sofa's arm.

"Yes, please," he says, and LeFou returns a few minutes later with a bag of freshly-popped popcorn. He sits down on the couch next to his boyfriend and pulls the blanket over himself, too.

"Where's the remote?"

"Here."

LeFou presses  _play_ , grins, and opens the bag.

"What'd you think?" he asks the moment the credits roll. "Was it good? Did you like it?"

"It... it was pretty good," Gaston admits reluctantly. "I liked the bunny."

"You're  _supposed_ to like the bunny."

"I know, that's why I liked her."

LeFou smiles and gets up, turning the TV off. "Dessert?" he asks as Gaston yawns and stretches.

"Definitely."

"Just so you know, we're having a Harry Potter marathon next weekend," LeFou informs him as they sit and eat their ice cream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> send me gafou/stanfou prompts!! [ask box is always open ❀](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	5. Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sick Gaston gets LeFou to tell him a story while nursing him back to health.
> 
> Also [posted during Thirty Days of _Beauty and the Beast_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11062140/chapters/24666624).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on May 29th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _Oooh, a Gafou fic where Gaston suddenly realises his feelings for LeFou while LeFou is taking care of him while he's ill?_

"Tell me a story, LeFou," Gaston croaked, rubbing his bleary eyes and struggling to stay awake.

"Don't you want to sleep?" LeFou asked softly.

"No, I..."

"Sorry, sorry," LeFou said, patting Gaston's clammy hands. "What story do you want me to tell?"

"Surprise me, LeFou," Gaston mumbled, attempting to smile. It didn't work very well.

"Alright."

He looked around for something to inspire him, but Gaston's room was clean and orderly. He'd only just moved in, of course; they had been dispatched from the army nearly two weeks ago, and neither of them had really settled into their new lodgings yet.

"Um," LeFou began. "Okay, er... once upon a time -"

["Is this a  _fairy tale_ , LeFou?"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10899141) Gaston asked, opening his eyes to peer at his nurse mischievously.

"No, it's a true story!" LeFou protested. "If you'd kept quiet, you would know that."

Gaston repositioned himself under the covers of his bed and attempted to look innocent. "Go on," he said guilelessly.

"Once upon a time," LeFou started again, "there was a brave little boy who lived in France. His town was small, but his heart was big, and he dreamed of being a hero one day and travelling the world with his best friend."

"What was the friend like?" Gaston interrupted.

"Be quiet, and I'll tell you!" LeFou laughed. "The boy was just a boy, however, so he still had to go to school. Although he didn't like the teacher and disagreed with him a lot, his friend helped him through. Soon enough, the friend had to drop out, though, to help all of his brothers and sisters eat and have a place to live."

"Speaking of which, why aren't you at home right now?"

"Is this you trying to get rid of me, Gaston?"

"No! Stay, please."

"Fine. So although the boy's friend had to work at the mill all the time and couldn't read, they still played together in their spare time. They eventually grew up, though, and soon, their country was on the verge of war. The two boys, who were now men, were told to report for duty so that they could fight for their country. They were scared, but they were together, so they knew that they would make it.

"The brave young man - the hero of this story - quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a captain. He chose his best friend as his right-hand man, and when some of the other soldiers questioned his decision, he defended his companion with pride."

Gaston grasped LeFou's hand and held it tight, smiling at him and making LeFou's heart flutter.

"One day," he continued, "there was a surprise attack on their camp in the dead of night, when the brave French soldiers were fast asleep. The captain rallied his troops and fought valiantly against the opposing side, and by the morning, they had won the battle.

"His friend, his right-hand man, had been injured, however. He'd taken a bullet for one of his fellow warriors, and it had lodged deep in his shoulder. The captain found him collapsed on the battlefield and carried him to safety.

"Now the captain had become the man his younger self had dreamed of; he was a hero. His men told him so, patting him on the back and congratulating him whenever they passed him in the camp. But in the privacy of their tent, the two friends could revel in their success and heal together, and that was all that mattered. The end."

Gaston was quiet for a few long moments, then asked, "What happens next, LeFou?"

He paused for a moment, thinking. "Well, they went home, and even though they had lost the war, they were still praised as heroes in their small town."

"And after that?"

LeFou smiled. "Then they sat together in the privacy of the captain's house and shared some wartime stories."

"And after that?" Gaston repeated, moving closer to LeFou.

"I... I don't know, why don't you fill me in?"

"Alright," Gaston said, and he leaned in to kiss LeFou, still holding his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> send me gafou/stanfou prompts!! [ask box is always open ❀](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	6. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou helps Gaston rebuild the life they had before the fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on May 29th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _Lefou helps his love Gaston with PTSD and nightmares that Lefou will Leave him_.
> 
> I've put loads of detail into two of my fics in [my GaFou one-shot series](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fseries%2F711240&t=Yjg3OTJlNmNkOGQ1MzRkZWRhY2RhYjlkZGI1ZDM3MGMxZDhjZmU0YSxCS3JET1F5RQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AS0CtwMNPcU-K0sOnhkZuTA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbeloved-gafou.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F161212778227%2Flefou-helps-his-love-gaston-with-ptsd-and&m=1) \- [no one casually dismisses women like gaston](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F10704828&t=MjZlYWJjNDZkNjA0NjUzMDQxMmRkNTc5YmI1NTRmNzlhNjIzOTRiZixCS3JET1F5RQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AS0CtwMNPcU-K0sOnhkZuTA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbeloved-gafou.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F161212778227%2Flefou-helps-his-love-gaston-with-ptsd-and&m=1) and [beloved - so I'll just basically summarize below.](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F10899141&t=ODZkNjgwMGJkZWUyMmYwNDlmODM1NDk5MmY0MTExOGU5OGFhM2EwYSxCS3JET1F5RQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AS0CtwMNPcU-K0sOnhkZuTA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbeloved-gafou.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F161212778227%2Flefou-helps-his-love-gaston-with-ptsd-and&m=1)

"I left you," he whispers at night when LeFou holds him tightly; "you have every right to leave me, too."

"But I won't, Gaston," LeFou assures him. "You know that. Every morning when you wake up, I'm still there."

He has trouble with heights now, too. When a tree branch falls on the roof of their house and it needs repairs, Gaston offers to fix it, but as soon as he reaches the top of the ladder, he feels dizzy.

LeFou rubs his back as he dry heaves in the bathroom, wiping his forehead with a wet towel and pulling his hair out of his face.

Someone mentions the prince and princess in the market as they're chatting with LeFou, and he lays a firm hand on Gaston's arm, grounding him before he loses himself.

He doesn't get angry anymore, just sad. He sees how hard LeFou works to keep him happy and he resents himself for it.

For years, he struggles with his shattered ego. LeFou works to rebuild it, smothering him with kisses and humming things like,  _"No one bites like Gaston,"_ when he's in a bad mood.

Slowly but surely, things improve. His nightmares lessen, and he eventually forgets his doubts that LeFou wants to stay with someone like him.

He still avoids mirrors, though. The only face he wants to see now is his husband's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> send me gafou/stanfou prompts!! [ask box is always open ❀](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	7. Replacements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A list of scenarios (i.e. _Cinderella_ , _Tangled_ , _Aladdin_ , and _Mulan_ ) where Gaston and LeFou replace the main characters of Disney movies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on May 29th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _The two of them in the positions of other fairytales, maybe?_
> 
> Wow, I really love this idea? Wow. I guess I'll do a few Disney movies.

  * **Cinderella:** For this one, I'm going to do StanFou, because I absolutely  _love_ [Stanley and dresses](http://evansluke.tumblr.com/post/160846974358/go-be-free-be-free-be-free). Stanley is Cinderella, of course, LeFou is Prince Charming, and Madame de Garderobe is Stanley's fairy godmother. Stanley's evil stepmother and stepsisters could maybe be the Bimbettes? Who knows. Anyway, Stanley shows up in a show-stopping dress (maybe one that isn't a patchwork of many different dresses) at the prince's ball, and LeFou's gone the moment he sees him. Who cares about the rumors? Stanley is beautiful.
  * **Tangled:** Back to GaFou! LeFou is Rapunzel - just imagine him with  _seventy feet of curly, dark hair_ \- and Gaston is the charming Flynn Rider. I'm not sure who would be Mother Gothel - maybe Agathe? But, like, less nice? At the end, Gaston cuts LeFou's hair to the length it is in BatB2017 (because honestly, Josh Gad is ridiculously attractive in that movie) and LeFou's tears revive him after Agathe(?) is pushed out of the tower. LeFou is also the princess. Duh.
  * **Aladdin:** Gaston is Jasmine, LeFou is Aladdin, and Agathe is the Genie. Need I say more? Maybe in this AU, Belle is one of Gaston's many suitors who's trying to marry into the throne for more power or something. LeFou, however, is the one to eventually win Gaston's hand. (Bonus points: Beast!Adam is Gaston's pet tiger, Rajah.)
  * **Mulan:** This one is all about Stanley - sorry, not sorry! Stanley, who is genderfluid, takes his father's place in the army to save his life. LeFou (Shang) is a prestigious general in the army who takes notice of Stanley immediately as a promising young man. When Stanley comes out to him as genderfluid, however, LeFou reacts badly and leaves him injured and alone in the wilderness. While Stanley does return and save Prince Adam (the emperor), he doesn't take any of LeFou's shit and refuses to talk to him anymore.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all I have for now - maybe I'll expand on this list in the future!
> 
> send me gafou/stanfou prompts!! [ask box is always open ❀](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	8. Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few headcanons about an AU where LeFou and Gaston are the respective managers at a CVS and a Walgreens and are in constant competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on May 29th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _They are store owners (but not like the cute flower x tattoo shop one because they are two similar stores competing) ((bonus points if the store is Justice vs Claire's))_.

NO BUT WALGREENS VS CVS THO

LEFOU REGULARLY COMES INTO CVS TO KNOCK THINGS OFF OF THE SHELVES WHILE STARING GASTON DOWN

GASTON EMAILS UPPER MANAGEMENT ABOUT MAKING MORE AGGRESSIVE ADVERTISEMENTS THAT CONSISTENTLY TARGET WALGREENS AND FORWARDS THE EMAIL CHAIN TO LEFOU ON PURPOSE

~~no but they're actually in love though they just will never ever ever ever EVER admit it~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> send me gafou/stanfou prompts!! [ask box is always open ❀](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	9. Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer camp AU where Stanley (the arts and crafts counselor) and Gaston (the archery expert) both try to win LeFou's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on May 30th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by [new-berlinwall](http://new-berlinwall.tumblr.com): _Cliche Summer camp AU where Lefou is a junior counselor who has it bad for Gaston - the charismatic rifle counselor - but also Stanley (who is a junior arts and crafts counselor) is high key flirting with him with making him tie dye tee shirts and asking him to sit with him during movie night. Everyone is placing bets on who Lefou will end up with by the end of camp dance._

I've honestly never been to a summer camp with a rifle counselor - what if Gaston was in charge of archery, instead? That's a  _tad_ bit safer. LeFou gets all hot and bothered watching Gaston pull his bowstring taut and then letting an arrow fly. It's hard not to be impressed by impeccable aim.

The kids adore LeFou and all agree that he's the  _best_ s'more maker. In fact, food in general is his thing - Gaston helps him grill hot dogs and burgers sometimes, but he knows not to get in LeFou's way. Gaston is quite taken with him (and his culinary mastery), and LeFou  _thinks_ he's got it bad for Gaston, too.

Until Stanley joins the staff.

The man is adorable and not afraid of getting what he wants - which, in this case, is LeFou. He's the camp's new arts and crafts counselor and is ridiculously good with his hands. He makes LeFou tie-dye t-shirts that are just the right size and writes his number in sharpie on the tag. LeFou reluctantly texts him, not expecting anything to really happen - but Stanley replies immediately.

LeFou is chatting amiably with Gaston in the corner of the cabin when Stanley says, "Fou, get over here," patting the bench he's sitting on.

"Uh - I'll see you later," he says to Gaston, a little flustered. Gaston watches him walk away with a frown.

"So who are you going to choose?" Belle (the literary/story-time counselor) asks slyly as she and LeFou carry a canoe out of the boating shed.

"What are you talking about?" LeFou laughs.

"Are you going to go out with Gaston or Stanley?"

He nearly drops the canoe.

"Adam's got his money on Stanley," Belle quips. "He really doesn't like Gaston for some reason. I think it's just because Gaston beat him in the shooting contest, though."

"Your boyfriend is betting on who I'm going to end up with?" LeFou spluttered, appalled.

Belle shrugged. "He's the wildlife counselor; he's not exactly reserved about his opinions. He's all about facts."

Gaston sits next to LeFou at that night's campfire and casually drapes an arm around his shoulders. Stanley glares from across the firepit.

"Text me, okay?" Gaston says when they've reached LeFou's cabin.

"Mmm," LeFou murmurs, his phone buzzing in his pocket (likely a message from Stanley).

When the end-of-summer dance (it's not really a dance, of course; it's more of a party) arrives, LeFou finds himself standing in front of two men, having been asked by both to dance.

You decide what happens next!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> send me gafou/stanfou prompts!! [ask box is always open ❀](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	10. Delirium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaston questions LeFou's mental state post-war, but LeFou insists that he's fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on June 27th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by [myself](http://gastvn.tumblr.com): _PLEASE I JUST WANT A FIC WHERE LEFOU HAS PTSD AND NIGHTMARES AND FLASHBACKS AND GASTON COMFORTS HIM IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK_

Blood pooled in the dips of the floor, seeping underneath the door and soaking the tips of his boots as it spread across the room - he didn't know whose it was - he  _couldn't speak_ -

"You look ill, LeFou," Gaston said, adjusting the book in his lap and looking at him with a concerned expression. "Are you well?"

He snapped to attention and blinked a few times, looking Gaston in the eye and trying to ignore the gaping hole in his chest - a hideous, grotesque wound that looked like it'd been caused by a pike or a spear, driven through sinew and flesh and bone and -

"Yes," LeFou assured him, "yes, I'm fine."

"How are you adjusting to life as a civilian, my friend?" Gaston set his book down on the table next to his chair and stood, stretching his arms. "I imagine it's been as difficult for you as it has for me."

"Oh," LeFou said with a wry smile as Gaston's skin fell off of his face in great dry flakes to reveal brittle, yellowing cartilage and teeth. "No, I'm great. Never been better."

"No nightmares? No waking dreams?"

"Mmm... no, don't think so."

His captain crossed the room to kneel in front of his chair and said, "You know, it's alright to speak of these things. When I have my dreams, they're always about losing you or not being able to find you - and then I wake up and you're there next to me."

He watched something red trickle out of the corner of Gaston's mouth and grinned. "I'll always be at your side, you know."

"Of course, LeFou. I'm glad you're okay."

Gaston patted his hand and stood, going to the door only to collapse in a contorted heap before he could reach it.


	11. Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaston finally gives in and decides to woo LeFou.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on June 29th, 2017.
> 
> Written for [starlightbark](http://starlightbark.tumblr.com).
> 
> In which Gaston is a hopeless (helpless) romantic and LeFou is on better terms with Belle than he thought. Please enjoy!!

It was the little things that mattered - and that LeFou apparently endeavored to ignore.

He bought him dinner; he whiled away long nights in the tavern with an arm slung round his companion's shoulders and a stein in his hand; he made an effort to listen to everything LeFou said, no matter how dreadfully dull it was. His partner, however, didn't seem to notice anything that he did - which meant it was time for something drastic (and romantic).

Gaston went to Père Robert's after a long period of deliberation and asked if he could buy one of his books. "Something romantic, perhaps?" he suggested, quirking an eyebrow and smiling the way only he could smile.

"If this is for Belle," the chaplain said pointedly, "I'm afraid it's no use. She's read all of these" - he frowned bitterly at his small collection of dusty tomes - "a thousand times over. If you're looking for something new, I'm afraid you're in the wrong village."

"Oh, no," Gaston laughed, picking up one of the novels and slowly spelling out  _Romeo and Juliet_. "No, this is for... someone else."

"Ah! You've finally gotten over her, then?"

"Erm - well, I wouldn't say... uh, how much for - ?"

"Take it!" Robert laughed. "Anything to get you off Belle's back."

He wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, but he let it slide.

"LeFou!" he cried excitedly as he passed him in the street outside of the chapel. "I've got something for you." He smugly presented the book, expecting him to be impressed.

His friend gave him a blank stare and said, "Is... that for Belle? She's probably -"

"Probably read it before - I know, I know," Gaston muttered. "No, it's for you!"

Another confused look. "I can't read, Gaston," LeFou said; then he turned and continued on his way down the road.

"I'll read it to you!" Gaston exclaimed, frantically flipping through the pages and scrambling to keep up with the other man. "It's  _poetry_ \- one of the greatest love stories ever told - here, let me read you a verse."

He cleared his throat, grabbed LeFou's arm, and said,  _"My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite."_

LeFou  _laughed_ \- he laughed at  _Shakespeare_.

"What's so funny?" Gaston protested.

LeFou looked him in the eye and said with the tone of one who knows  _exactly_ what they're talking about:  _"Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs."_

Then he walked away, leaving his friend standing open-mouthed behind him.

"How did you - LeFou! You can't read!" he yelled. "Have you been talking to Belle behind my back? Are - LeFou, come back here!"

"Oh, Gaston...  _parting is such sweet sorrow_ ," LeFou recited, glancing over his shoulder and giving him a mirthful grin.


	12. Mes Chéries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou talks smack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on July 1st, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _Here's a prompt: I've been seeing some josh gad body posi floating around, so how about some for lefou !_

"Do you  _really_ want to be associated with someone like him, Gaston?" Laurette jeered, her cheeks painted and her eyes sparkling with lust.

Gaston glanced over at LeFou, laid a protective hand on his arm, and said, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Well," Laurette's sister, Paulette, interjected, "it's just that you're so incredibly  _fit_ \- a real man among men, if you will - and LeFou is..."

"Dumpy," the third Bimbette, Claudette, suggested.

"Stout," Paulette provided.

"Portly," Laurette finished.

LeFou could feel Gaston tense and saw his face redden, but he merely smiled and said,  _"Au moins je ne suis pas une pute, mes chéries."_

The sisters gaped at him, and a hush fell over the tavern.

"Wh-what - ?" one of them started, but he cut her off.

 _“Et au moins j’ai une bonne compréhension du français,”_ he added as their malicious grins faded into frowns of embarrassment. "Don't you think that if I wasn't happy with the way I am, I would do something to change it?"

"W-well, I -"

"No one else has ever expressed a problem with my size," LeFou spat, just as Gaston reaffirmed his grip - this time, placing an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Perhaps if you hadn't let your fetishization of an inhumanly perfect appearance affect your mindset, one of you would be sitting where I am right now."

And that was apparently enough to keep the Bimbettes' mouths shut for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't pretend to be a fluent speaker of French - I had help from [this translator](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lexilogos.com%2Fenglish%2Ffrench_translation.htm%23&t=ODBiZDNiN2M3YTdkM2UwYmUyZDI1M2UzNDA2NWM2Y2U0ZmNhZGY0OSxUR3RQcnNRVg%3D%3D&b=t%3AS0CtwMNPcU-K0sOnhkZuTA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbeloved-gafou.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F162464808662%2Fheres-a-prompt-ive-been-seeing-some-josh-gad&m=1). If something's wrong, please contact me!
> 
>  **French Translations (in order of appearance):**  
>  _mes chéries_ \- my darlings  
>  _Au moins je ne suis pas une pute, mes chéries_ \- at least I'm not a whore, my darlings  
>  _Et au moins j’ai une bonne compréhension du français_ \- and at least I have a decent grasp of French
> 
> I've already written a tiny bit of LeFou body positivity [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483292/chapters/25758312) and [here](https://beloved-gafou.tumblr.com/post/161320619162/some-lefou-body-positivity), but I decided to go all out on this one. Hope you liked it, nonnie! 
> 
> [gafou and stanfou prompts are very welcome! ✿](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	13. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaston notices something missing in the middle of the battle, so he abandons the cause and goes looking for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on July 1st, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _Ok so au where Leroy dies instead of Gaston and he freaks out and blames himself_.

Something was very, very wrong.

Gaston lowered his pistol and blinked a few times; he felt as if he was waking up from a bad dream. Normally, when that happened, someone was always there to comfort him - but -

"LeFou?" he choked, dropping the gun and watching it clatter against the parapets as it fell. All he could feel was a noticeably  _emptiness_ \- both beside and inside him - and he couldn't understand why.

"Where is LeFou?" he cried to Belle as she helped her beast hobble to safety.

"How am I supposed to know?" she shouted back, and there was something in her voice that he couldn't quite place. Anger, perhaps? Disappointment? Devastation?

Gaston followed them back into the beast's study, stood there for a split second to watch them embrace, and then left before they could notice him.

The castle shuddered as he descended, and a mysterious, brilliant white light shimmered past him. It seemed like the battle was over; the enchanted, anthropomorphic objects had returned to their original state - either that, or a random gaggle of more townspeople had suddenly showed up.

LeFou was nowhere to be found.

The harpsichord Gaston had left him under had vanished, so he assumed that his companion had thrown it off or crawled out from underneath. Still, he couldn't find him anywhere inside the citadel, so he decided to venture outside. Perhaps LeFou had managed to escape in the midst of all the fighting...

He stepped outside just in time to witness the magical clearing of all the wreckage in the courtyard - freeing a broken, battered body that had been trapped underneath.

"No," he rasped, rushing forward and turning the body over so he could see its face. "No," he said again, his lips barely moving. He could hardly breathe.

"Please, no, LeFou," Gaston begged, tears welling in his eyes and a horrible wail rising in his throat. "I -  _LeFou_ , you can't be gone - come back -"

"He will not return," an ethereal voice said behind him, and he whipped around to see Agathe, her pale skin shining with the same wizardry he had seen just a few minutes ago.

"What do you mean?" he said - and he hated how utterly  _weak_ he sounded when his voice cracked. "Can't you bring him back, o-or curse him or something?"

"Sadly, no," Agathe said, smoothing the elegant dress that had replaced her threadbare rags.

"Curse  _me_ , then," Gaston beseeched her. "Curse me in exchange for his life - kill me and bring him back, I can't -"

"This is your punishment," the sorceress said; "your cross to bear. He has died because of your mistakes, and I suggest that you learn from them."

Then she walked away, and Gaston pulled at his friend's shoulders, cradling his head in his hand and pushing their foreheads together.

"Shh," he whispered, even though LeFou couldn't hear him. "You were never supposed to... you... LeFou..."

He swallowed thickly and ran a hand through his partner's hair.  _"Lenore,"_ he implored, and oh, had it really come to that? Gaston wouldn't be using LeFou's real name if he was still alive -

"I love you," he told his lifelong companion - his right-hand man - his best friend. "I loved you, and I love you, and I always... just - please come back, LeFou..."

And really, shouldn't he have said those things  _before_ LeFou had died?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [gafou and stanfou prompts are very welcome! ✿](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	14. No One Uses the Word "Frighten" Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaston, an astronaut-in-training at NASA, meets LeFou.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on July 2nd, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _How abouts some space ausss_.
> 
> Assuming this is GaFou.
> 
> Okay, I saw a NASA!Spirk AU recently (can't remember the creator right now, sorry), and it was absolutely adorable - so how about a NASA!GaFou AU?

LeFou is a safety console coordinator that stays on the ground and basically works a desk job in the LCC (Launch Control Center) - think [Book of Mormon!Josh](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fd2npu017ljjude.cloudfront.net%2Fimages%2Fcustom%2Fw606%2F55748-0.jpg&t=Yjk5ZDZmMDU2NmNjNThiNzU5NTVjMWQ2ZDc1OWYwMjNiZDMyMDkxZix2dmVCVDRxYg%3D%3D&b=t%3AS0CtwMNPcU-K0sOnhkZuTA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbeloved-gafou.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F162530880437%2Fhow-abouts-some-space-ausss&m=1) in terms of uniform and looks. Gaston enlisted in the Air Force instead of going to college, and he served as a pilot for several years before becoming a research pilot for NASA. He eventually rises through the ranks and becomes an astronaut stationed at NASA HQ (which was his childhood dream - I mean, who  _wouldn't_ want to be one?).

Gaston is getting lunch in the cafeteria (in the middle of day three of his training) when someone says, "Excuse me," behind him, and he turns around and sees a man so pretty he drops his tray.

"I'm so sorry, did I frighten you?" the stranger says, kneeling down to pick up Gaston's (luckily empty) tray immediately.

All Gaston can think is,  _No one uses the word 'frighten' anymore._ He's gone for.

The other man raises an eyebrow and adjusts his glasses. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Gaston says after clearing his throat. "Yes, I'm - I'm more than alright. I, ah... I guess you did."

"Did what?"

"Frighten me."

And that coerces a smile, and Gaston nearly gasps because - he's  _gorgeous_?

"Well, my name's LeFou," says LeFou, "and again, I'm sorry for startling you. I guess I'll see you around sometime."

Then he leaves, and Gaston can't believe he let him get away.

A few days later, Gaston finally finds out where LeFou's stationed, and when he's given an assignment that takes him to the firing room, he can't help but glance around the room until he finally spots him - leaning over a flight surgeon's (*cough, cough* Stanley *cough*) desk and muttering something in a hushed voice.

Then Gaston approaches the launch director (bonus points if it's Belle; double bonus points if Maurice is the flow director; triple bonus points if Prince Adam is the payload test conductor) and has them sign something, and while he's waiting, he looks back at LeFou and sees that  _he's looking at him, too_.

When Gaston leaves with the signature, LeFou rushes out after him and asks him for coffee.

"Just not here, alright?" he says as he writes his number on Gaston's hand in Sharpie. "Wouldn't want you to drop your tray again."

Then he runs back into the firing room, and Gaston can hardly contain his glee.

The date goes well! They're both absolutely smitten with each other, and they're practically engaged by the time Gaston is assigned to the International Space Station two years later.

"It'll be fine," LeFou says in their apartment the night they receive the news. " _We'll_ be fine. It's not like we won't be able to talk."

Gaston bites his lip and hugs him, and even though he isn't happy, it's enough.

A year later, when the firing room door opens and LeFou turns around to see the most beautiful man he's ever laid eyes on standing in front of him... well, their reunion is a sight to behold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [gafou and stanfou prompts are very welcome! ✿](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	15. All or Nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaston realizes that he either wants LeFou for himself, or he'll have nothing to do with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on July 2nd, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by [myself](http://gastvn.tumblr.com): _i just really want a role reversal au where lefou is the insipidly vain war hero and gaston is really quite in love with him because_ lefou body positivity okay.

"What's the matter, Gaston? You look upset."

"Oh," Gaston said, coming out of his reverie and not bothering to look behind him. "It's nothing."

_"Really?"_

A hand landed on his shoulder and turned him around, and Gaston sucked in a breath. LeFou's face was much too close to his - not that he was complaining, of course, but if his friend hadn't been so drunk, he might've actually noticed Gaston's flushed cheeks and blown pupils.

Or perhaps he was actually less inebriated than he appeared - his eyes glittered in the candlelight, and a mirthful smile played across his lips. LeFou took Gaston's chin in his hand and drew even closer, and even though he was shorter and stouter than him, Gaston couldn't help but feel intimidated.

It had always been like this; ever since the war, when LeFou had fought viciously for glory and  _earned_ it, he had always set Gaston on edge. Every touch, every nudge, every brush of LeFou's fingers against his skin (whether intentional or not) was thrilling, and it wasn't until they had finally returned home that Gaston realized why that was.

After a few moments, LeFou shook his head dismissively and returned to his seat by the fire, turning a hunting knife over in his hands and paying no mind to the Bimbette sitting next to him. Something about the disappointment on her face pleased Gaston - although the fact that she was even allowed to sit by LeFou in the first place was more than irksome.

Even as a teenager, Gaston had hated the broads that followed the two of them everywhere they went. They weren't interested in  _him_ , of course - it was always LeFou they were after, practically throwing themselves at his feet in desperation. He could hardly blame them; the man exuded confidence and charm, and if the world were kinder, Gaston would follow suit and flirt unabashedly with him, just like all the other girls. For years, LeFou's nonchalant dismissal of them was enough: he merely brushed them off and didn't notice when Gaston stared daggers at them behind his back.

And now, nothing was ever enough. The intoxicating touches, the shameless grins, the raw  _emotions_ weren't enough for him. The embellished description of their relationship couldn't end with just "best friends" - Gaston needed  _more_.

He either wanted LeFou for himself, or would have nothing to do with him.

 _With LeFou, it's all or nothing,_ he thought as he stood from his seat, paid the bartender, and left the tavern.  _Always has been, always will be._

LeFou didn't follow him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The absolutely adorable artwork is by the amazing [dodgisshipper](http://dodgisshipper.tumblr.com)! Here's some more of their Beautyswap work:


	16. Doubloons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an attempted abduction goes wrong, Gaston finds his way onto a pirate ship, where he is reunited with someone he thought was long dead...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on July 5th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _PIRATE AU !!!_

"Well, what have we here?"

Someone pulled the sack off of Gaston's head, and he blinked in the harsh sunlight.

He almost gasped when he recognized the man standing before him.

"Le-"

His captor pulled on his hair to shut him up, and he winced.

"A damsel in distress, eh?"

The monarch pulled her rapier from her belt and pointed it at the captain. "Do not  _dare_ , pirate," she spat. "This scoundrel" - she tapped the nape of Gaston's neck with the hilt of her sword, and he grunted - "has already tried and failed to abduct me. My husband would have your hide if he found out something else had happened to me."

"Oh?" the marauder smirked, his gaze fixed on Gaston. Something strange glinted in his eyes. "And who would your husband be?"

"Prince Adam, protectorate of France."

LeFou grinned and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Well, that makes  _you_ a princess, then."

"Yes, I am Belle," she said; "Princess Belle of Villeneuve. I am sure my husband has sent the armada after me by now, but if you could kindly rid me of this ruffian and point me in the right direction, I would be forever indebted to you."

"Oh, i will  _gladly_ take this man off your hands, your highness. I'd like to know, however, what a French noblewoman such as yourself is doing so far off the coast of Spain?"

Belle sheathed her sword, adjusted her skirts, and said, "My husband and I were on a diplomatic mission - forging a new alliance with Spain - and had just set foot on the docks when  _this_ man accosted us and told us that if we didn't abandon the agreement, he would ensure that the prince would never see me again."

"Ah, yes, I can guess the rest," LeFou said. "Adam refused, so you were kidnapped, and now you're lost."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, well - how did you know?"

"I am well acquainted with the stubbornness of princes, madame."

"I see. Well, this man picked me up like a doll - he's extraordinarily strong, by the way, I'd watch out if I were you - tossed me into a nearby rowboat, and took off before my husband had even realized what was happening. About halfway through our little escapade, I decided to take matters into my own hands and regained control of the situation; it was clear from the start that this miscreant had no idea what he was doing. He didn't tie me up or anything - just let me sit there - so I managed to steal his sword and threatened to kill him.

"Now this is the strangest part: he didn't struggle at all. He just  _let_ me tie him up and pull that sack over his head, and then he sat peacefully until I almost thought he had fallen asleep. I would've left him like that had it not been for my dress - it rather constricts my legs and makes it very difficult to swim, and we were already too far from the harbor. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do, but that's when I spotted your boat from afar and decided I would board it."

"Hmm," LeFou hummed. "A very interesting tale, my lady. One I'm sure your husband will be eager to hear once you have returned to the Spanish port."

"You'll help me, then?"

"Why, I'll not only help you, but I'll  _pay_ you, too."

"In  _livres_?"

LeFou laughed, and Gaston's heart ached at the sound. "No, of course not," he chuckled. "We're in Spanish waters! French coins have no meaning here. I will give you fifty doubloons if you leave my ship and your rogue behind."

"You are too generous, sir," Belle said with a curtsy. "I am not sure of what use the man will be, but I am glad you are freeing me of him."

"Here," LeFou said with a smile, beckoning one of his men forward. He reached behind Gaston and loosed his bonds, and he fell forward, splaying his hands against the grain of the deck. He still couldn't believe he was on a  _pirate ship_ \- and  _LeFou's_ pirate ship, no less.

"Bring the princess some supplies and a compass," LeFou said to another of his hands, who promptly disappeared below-decks. "You are to head due north, your highness, and that will take you directly to the Spanish harbor you came from. I am sure your husband is still there, or will perhaps meet you on your way back."

Belle nodded graciously and thanked him again. After a few moments, Gaston stood up and surveyed his surroundings. The captain called a few orders to his men while he waited for Belle's things to be retrieved. Gaston kept trying to make eye contact with him, but to no avail.

 _This is all an act,_ he realized when LeFou's eyes flicked away from his again.  _He can't have forgotten me - not after all this time..._

Finally, Belle was on her way, a bag of food and doubloons slung over her shoulder. She thanked the captain profusely and agreed to give her prince his regards before climbing back over the side again.

Gaston moved to the railing and watched her row away. Business on the frigate continued as usual, but LeFou stayed where he was.

"So," he eventually said, taking a few steps forward and leaning against the balustrade. "Why  _did_ you try to abduct her?"

"That's it? That's all you have to say to me after  _twelve years_?"

LeFou looked at him -  _hard_ \- for a few moments, then announced, "Everyone below-decks." The crew quickly obeyed, and suddenly, the two of them were very, very alone.

"I thought you were  _dead_ , LeFou -"

"Well, I wasn't," came the bitter reply, and something in LeFou's voice sounded like it was close to breaking. "I was just... gone. Now will you please tell me how the hell you ended up on my ship?"

Gaston sighed and gripped the railing. "When... you never came to the front like you said you would, I feared the worst. I knew that some places in France had been struck with plague, and I was afraid that our village had fallen. Then it occurred to me that maybe you had been allowed to stay behind - maybe we didn't need any more troops - but when I talked to my superiors, I was proved wrong.

"So I waited. For seven years, I fought and rose through the ranks to captaincy. And then we lost, and it was over, and I was so eager to go home and see you again - and when I finally reached Villeneuve, you were nowhere to be found. No one knew where you had gone - your mother wouldn't even speak of it, and your father had apparently died a year after I left. It was like a spell had been cast over everyone; they seemed to have forgotten you had actually ever existed. But I didn't."

LeFou rose to his full height and crossed his arms, but didn't interrupt. Gaston cleared his throat and continued: "So I waited still. I was so sure that you would come back, but you never did. Four years after I returned, Belle - who had come to Villeneuve with her father while I was away - found her way to the prince's castle and broke the spell that had cursed everyone. She and Adam are married now, and -"

"What was the curse?" LeFou interjected. "What did it do?"

"It made everyone forget about the prince and the castle and all the servants," Gaston explained. "After it broke, everyone remembered their loved ones at the castle - the prince, who had been transformed into a beast, and his employees, who had been turned into sentient objects - but still, no one remembered  _you_. I felt like I was going crazy, I... I didn't know what to do with myself. My parents kept telling me to marry, but everyone in town just seemed so... small-minded."

"You still haven't answered my question," the captain said. "How did you  _find me_?"

Gaston smiled bitterly. "I went to the sorceress who had cast the enchantment a few months ago - it was stupid and foolish, but I thought that she could maybe... lessen my sadness, perhaps - and asked if she could tell me the outcome of my fate. She said she wouldn't, but she could give me a way to... well, ensure my 'happy ending.' If I didn't stop the prince and princess from creating a new treaty with Spain, then my fate would be irretrievably ruined. So I followed them, and, well..."

"And here you are," LeFou finished.

"And here I am."

LeFou stared out at the sea, and for the first time in twelve years, Gaston looked at him -  _really_ looked at him. His clothes were ridiculous compared to what he had worn in Villeneuve, but pirate garb somehow suited him. The hat was a little silly, but his hair - loose and windswept - was curly and familiar. It was a comforting sight.

"Do you remember when you were sixteen," he suddenly said, "and you protected the village from Portuguese pirates?"

Gaston nodded, and LeFou exhaled heavily.

"They came back a few months after you left - for the war, I mean. I... well, I  _tried_ to be a hero like you were, but..."

That was all he said, but Gaston didn't need anything else.

They lapsed into silence, which LeFou broke after a few minutes by saying, "You never married, then?"

"Of course not," Gaston replied, a smile tinging his voice. "How could I?"

LeFou closed his eyes for a moment and said nothing. Gaston placed his hand over his on the balustrade, expecting him to pull away; he didn't.

"I have missed you," he said slowly, "and loved you, for so many years."

The other man opened his eyes, smiled up at him, and said, "And I you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tidbit about the foreign invaders is canon! Luke himself talked about it in [this interview](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Few.com%2Fmovies%2F2017%2F03%2F14%2Fbeauty-and-the-beast-luke-evans-gaston-backstory%2F&t=MmRkNDFmMGUyZTkwN2RiZmYwMWE4ZjQ4Yzg5NzU3NDk0MGVmZDI1NixaanU1ZFVUUw%3D%3D&b=t%3AS0CtwMNPcU-K0sOnhkZuTA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbeloved-gafou.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F162637970107%2Fpirate-au&m=1).
> 
> The jaw-dropping illustration is by the lovely [tubofskippy](http://tubofskippy.tumblr.com)! Here's the full image (with an absolutely stunning background):
> 
> [gafou and stanfou prompts are very welcome! ✿](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	17. Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou makes a risky deal with Agathe: save Gaston's life, and she'll erase all memory of him from LeFou's mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on July 8th, 2017.
> 
> Prompted by anonymous: _This may sound weird, but what if LeFou gets cursed (not necessarily into a beast) instead of Gaston?_
> 
> Not weird at all, nonnie! I'm hoping this prompt will help me with my GSS block, lol. Enjoy!
> 
> Éduoard is a character from [this ficlet](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F11062140%2Fchapters%2F24667137&t=ODYyYTZjNDA4ZDFiYmQwNGQ5NGVjYjdmMjQxNmFiZTdkMTlkMzA5MixvdWNiTG1Xag%3D%3D&b=t%3AS0CtwMNPcU-K0sOnhkZuTA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbeloved-gafou.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F162764894102%2Fthis-may-sound-weird-but-what-if-lefou-gets&m=1)!

"LeFou? Where's -"

A hand that was definitively not LeFou's grabbed his arm, and he tried to pull away.

_"Where is LeFou?"_

"Lie down, or you'll hurt yourself," someone said, and his bleary vision focused enough to recognize the dim outline of Stanley, his normally coiffed hair unkempt and his clothes dirty.

"Please... is he alright? Where is he, why can't I see him?"

"Gaston, calm down," Stanley ordered. "You'll see him later, I promise. Right now, you need to lie still and wait for the doctor to come see you."

"LeFou -"

 _"He doesn't remember you,"_ the other man hissed, struggling to keep him in bed.

"What?" Gaston said, his tongue slipping over the word. "What do you mean? Was he injured?"

_Is he dead?_

"He's... um, he bargained for your life - with Agathe, the sorceress."

"I  _died_?"

"No," Stanley assured him. "LeFou made sure you didn't. You were... dying - you fell off the roof of the castle, and when we found you, you were covered with rubble... and, well, he found Agathe and asked her to curse him in exchange for your life."

Gaston blinked. There was a terrible feeling in his gut - as if he had been stabbed hundreds of times over with the same jagged, rusted knife. "And she agreed?"

"Yes. He's..."

"Has he forgotten everything?" he asked with bated breath.

Stanley shook his head and said, "No."

Then, a moment later: "Just you."

He felt like he was drowning: sinking below the surface of some grim, ghastly lake with stones tied to his feet, gasping for air and swallowing nothing but water, choking as seaweed wound itself around his throat...

"May I see him?" he asked.

"I don't think that's -"

There was a knock at the door, and Stanley sighed, let go of Gaston's arm, and got up to open it. While he was gone, Gaston looked around and wondered where he was. He wasn't familiar with the room they were in, although it clearly wasn't in Villeneuve. Eventually, the ornate, golden fixtures dotted around the chamber and the bookshelf lining the far wall told him that he was in the beast's castle, although he wasn't sure why. Shouldn't he have been kicked out ages ago for what he had done?

"Let me see him! He's hurt, and I want to help," said a voice that made Gaston's heart nearly burst out of his chest.

"That's not a good idea, LeFou," Stanley protested. "Just let the doctor see to him."

"I'm a healer!" LeFou retorted, pushing past Stanley, entering the room, and crossing to the four-poster Gaston was sitting on. "Hello, what's your name?" he asked him, taking his wrist in his hand and checking his pulse.

Gaston shattered.

"This is Gaston," Stanley answered for him, hovering anxiously behind LeFou. "He fell from the parapets during the battle."

"Interesting name," LeFou remarked, giving him the kind of smile that one gives a friendly-looking stranger. "Do you mind if I unbutton your shirt?"

He shook his head slowly, unable to speak.

"Is he mute?" LeFou asked Stanley as he quickly opened Gaston's shirt and pressed his hands against his abdomen. "Trauma can do that to people, you know."

"I... er, I'm not sure," Stanley mumbled. "I think he's just shy around new people."

"Oh, well, my name's LeFou," LeFou said, his fingers warm against Gaston's rib cage. "I was a medic in the war under Captain... what was his name, Stanley?"

"I can't recall," Stanley muttered, making direct eye contact with Gaston.

"Me, neither. It was a while ago, though, wasn't it? Did you fight in the war, Gaston?"

He nearly choked, but managed to nod.

"I'm sure you were very brave," LeFou beamed. "Alright, well, no broken ribs or bones, as far as I can tell - just bruises. You're very, very lucky. If you have any trouble breathing, come find me or Doctor Éduoard."

He patted Gaston's hand, said goodbye to Stanley, and left the room without looking back.

Gaston fell back against the pillows and covered his face with his hands, trying and failing not to sob over the loss of his lifelong companion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amazing artwork is, again, by the fantastic [dodgisshipper](http://dodgisshipper.tumblr.com)!
> 
> [gafou and stanfou prompts are very welcome! ✿](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	18. Remembrance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaston talks to LeFou for the first time in months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on July 9th, 2017.
> 
> A sequel to [this ficlet](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483292/chapters/25777830) (about a cursed LeFou who made a bargain with Agathe that saved Gaston's life, but ensured that he would lose all memories of his friend) for the lovely [dodgisshipper](http://dodgisshipper)!

"Oh, you've bested me!" the short man giggled, ruffling the child's hair and grinning widely. "Your top is much better than mine; it's a wonder I even thought I could compete with you in the first place!"

The gaggle of children gathered at his feet snickered and reached forward, setting the toys back up and spinning them into whirling, varicolored orbits. Gaston watched them play from across the courtyard, noting the delight on LeFou's face as he moved forward on the bench to get a better view of the game.

It had been a few months since "the accident," as Belle insisted on calling it. She and her prince had pardoned him long ago (although he could tell that the beast was more than reluctant in doing so), and had even offered to let him stay at the castle while he recovered.

Unfortunately, they had let LeFou stay, as well.

No matter where he went, Gaston saw him everywhere: in the kitchens, in the library, and now in the courtyard outside. He never had the courage to approach him, though - he merely stayed on the sidelines and watched, wishing that LeFou would just  _remember_...

Now he was surrounded by the children that came to visit the castle every day, playing jacks and spinning tops with them while they waited for the dinner bell. Gaston roamed around the enclosure and pretended to admire the blooming floral arrangements contained in pots set on pedestals around the precinct.

"Oh, time for supper," he heard LeFou say from across the courtyard as the bell chimed inside the castle. His audience gathered up their toys, rose, and bid him goodbye.

 _Curious,_ Gaston thought.  _Isn't he going in with them?_

When he turned around to see what was happening, he nearly jumped out of his own skin - LeFou was standing in front of him, smiling widely.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked, and there was no hint of recognition in his voice. Gaston took a deep breath and struggled to regain his composure.

"Oh, I - er, I think I'll stay outside," he said feebly. "I'm not very hungry, and these flowers are lovely."

"Yes, they are," LeFou said as Gaston made to turn around again. "I'm sorry, it's just... do I know you?"

The faintest bit of hope flickered in Gaston's heart, and for a moment, he almost believed that LeFou remembered him - then the other man chuckled and said, "Oh, that's right! I saw you after the battle, didn't I?"

"Yes," Gaston said, feeling like he had just been trampled by a crowd of several hundred people. "Yes, you came and examined me."

"I remember now," LeFou said, although he really didn't -  _how could he?_ "Your name's Gaston, and you fell from the parapets. But you're fine now, right? You didn't even break anything."

"No, I didn't. It truly was a miracle."

"Almost," his companion said, "like magic."

Nothing on earth could've prepared Gaston for what he saw when he looked at LeFou again: a heart-stopping smile on his face and mischief glittering in his eyes.

"I'm just saying," LeFou continued; "Prince Adam's curse was broken by magic, right?"

"No, it was broken by true love's kiss," Gaston corrected him.

"Ah, yes. Do you really believe that?"

"What do you mean?" He furrowed his brow and crossed his arms. "The prince is human again, isn't he? Isn't that proof enough?"

"No, no, I meant - do you believe in true love?"

Gaston turned back to the flowers and examined them with the air of a connoisseur, desperately flustered. "No, not anymore. If it was real for everyone - if it was real for  _me_ \- then I would be with the person I love right now."

"Oh?" LeFou said. "What happened?"

He looked him right in the eye and said, "They were lost."

And how he  _wished_ that he knew what LeFou was thinking when he frowned and a shadow fell over his face.

"Well," the other man said, pressing the petal of a pink azalea between his thumb and forefinger, "I'm very sorry. For what it's worth, I don't really believe in true love, either."

"Why not?"

"Because" - and LeFou faltered, looking very unsure of himself. "Because I... well, it's the strangest feeling - I feel like I had it once, but... if I really  _was_ in love, then why can't I remember anything about it?"

Gaston's mouth went dry.

 _You loved me,_ he thought slowly.  _You_ love me _\- even if you've forgotten._

"Are you sure you don't know anything?" he pressed, failing to contain his excitement.

"It's the funniest thing," LeFou said, meeting his eyes. "Everyone keeps acting like someone's happened to me, but they won't tell me, and I obviously can't remember. But  _you_... whenever I see you around the castle, I always feel like - like it's on the tip of my tongue. I want to remember - there's this hole in my heart, like something's missing, and I want to fill it so badly - but something's holding me back. I'm not sure what it is."

"Maybe you were cursed."

"Yeah," he laughed. "Maybe. Maybe I fell in love with a beast, but someone put a spell on me so I forgot."

Then he walked away, leaving Gaston with a tattered heart and shaking hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There _will_ be a part three that finished this little series, I promise!


	19. Pitiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou assists Gaston home after a (not so long) night of drinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by anonymous: _Can we please get some more body positivity with LeFou? Maybe him hauling a drunk Gaston out of the tavern and nearly everyone going "Bwah?" and being surprised. Especially if that can be combined with "Lefou as the vapid war hero" AU!_
> 
> Beautyswap _and_ body positivity? An anon after my own heart.

When he entered the pub to find that Gaston was already woefully drunk, he knew things weren't going to go well.

"Hello," he said, sitting down at the bar next to him and ordering only a light ale for himself - he would need to stay as sober as possible if he wanted the two of them to survive the night. Normally,  _LeFou_ was the one who had to be dragged home in the early hours, almost too drunk to walk.

And now it was Gaston, who turned to face him with a stein in hand and a grin lighting up his features.

"'Fou!" he exclaimed, beer dripping down the side of his mug. "So glad you could join us!"

"Mmm," LeFou said vexedly. Gaston was slurring - and he  _never_ slurred, not even when he was four glasses deep.

He was a bitter drunk, LeFou realized as he watched him make his rounds around the tavern. Rowdy and loud with other people, but when he returned to the bar for another pint and he thought no one was looking, he had a strange look on his face - not quite sad, but not happy, either. It was an unmistakable dissatisfaction.

 _Something's obviously bothering him,_ LeFou thought blearily as he took another sip of his own drink.  _He wouldn't be this tipsy if something wasn't wrong._

"Scurry back to mother hen, now," someone jeered as Gaston returned to LeFou's side for the third time that night. He turned around immediately and looked for the source of the heckling, but couldn't seem to focus -  _or see straight,_ LeFou thought grimly.

"Leave it be, Gaston," he said, throwing his head back and downing the last dregs of his beer. "They're not worth your time."

"More like the mother hen that ate all the other hens," another person cackled.

"Oh, cheer up, LeFou; we don't mean any harm! It's just - well, a hero's got to stay in shape, doesn't he?"

"He is stronger and better than any of you," Gaston protested, his newly-filled glass abandoned. LeFou took that as their cue to leave and slid a few  _sous_ across the counter to the bartender.

"Come, let's go," he said, reaching for his friend's sleeve and sighing when he stepped away.

"None of you deserve to be protected if you mock the man who saves this village time and time again!" Gaston cried, shrugging LeFou off and struggling to continue his speech. "First, he fought off marauders when he was  _sixteen_ , and then he fought for us in the war, and now you tease and ridicule him? No one here is worthy of -"

"It's time to go home before you hurt yourself," LeFou told him, tugging on his arm again. "Nicolas, Rodrigue - I suggest that you come up with better insults; perhaps some that not even a drunk man can refute?"

Nicolas and Rodrigue refused to meet his eyes as he escorted Gaston outside.

"That was some show, wasn't it?" he said as they walked down the empty street. "Not yet eleven, and you're gone. I hope you have a good reason for your intoxication, Gaston."

"Lay off!" his companion said, but he didn't loosen his grip on his arm, lest he drift away. "And I  _do_ have a good reason."

"What is it?" he asked, turning a corner and guiding Gaston down the boulevard he lived on.

"Unrequited love."

"Oh," LeFou said, his heart filling with sympathy, "oh, that's too bad. I'm not sure I really see the point in quaffing your desire in drink, though."

"Yes, well, of course you wouldn't," Gaston said, and he sounded so pitiful that LeFou couldn't help but feel sorry for him as they approached his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm all here for aro/ace Beautyswap!LeFou who's totally oblivious to Gaston's affection. Hit me up with an ask if you want more!
> 
> [gafou and stanfou prompts are very welcome! ✿](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


	20. Une Fleur par Jour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou runs a flower shop, but he never expects someone to buy a flower for _him_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is for [my birthday giveaway](https://gastvn.tumblr.com/post/162769472747/so-my-birthdays-coming-up-in-a-little-less-than-a)! The greatest present of all is sharing my writing with you guys. Thanks so much to everyone who entered!
> 
> Prompted by [@johnsmoore](http://johnsmoore.tumblr.com): _for ur cute bday giveaway: lefou works at a flower shop and gaston walks in every day, buys a flower and gives it to him AU_.
> 
> Here are my flower language sources: [[x](http://www.allflorists.co.uk/advice_flowerMeanings.asp)] [[x](http://www.languageofflowers.com/flowermeaning.htm)] Give them a read if you're interested - floriography is pretty cool!
> 
> French is by no means my native language, so please correct me if wrong - although the lovely [@sockgoblinking](http://sockgoblinking.tumblr.com) (and [this site](http://www.lexilogos.com/english/french_translation.htm#)) helped me with the translations! And the flower language "translations" are also available in the notes if you'd like to know what they represent!
> 
> I've used an html feature that translates French if you scroll your mouse over it. It's really cool and available [here](http://plantyourtreeswithme.tumblr.com/post/125435570772/hi-first-of-all-i-want-to-say-that-your-writing) if you want to use it. Translations are also available at the end if you're on mobile.

_ "Non, monsieur, restez-vous! Je vous donnerai un rabais!" _

The customer was already leaving his shop, stepping outside just as someone else came in.

 _"Un moment, bon monsieur,"_ LeFou called sadly, reaching for the card next to the bouquet of roses on the counter, crossing out the part that said  _25€_ , and rewriting _20€_. Then he turned to the new customer - a tall, broad-shouldered man with a somewhat confused (and gorgeous) face - and said,  _"Maintenant, comment puis-je vous aider?"_

"Er...  _je pas français_? Is this LeFou's?" came the befuddled response, and LeFou laughed, noting the British tang in the stranger's voice.

"Yes, I'm LeFou. You don't speak French,  _monsieur_?"

"Not very well."

"Ah,  _j'aurais dû deviner_ ," LeFou said quickly, smiling.  _"Votre accent est preque aussi beau que vous."_

"What?"

"Oh, it's nothing. How may I help you?" he continued. "The roses have just been marked down, if you're interested."

"No, I don't think so," the man said, turning to look at the bouquets on display on the other side of the room. "I'm looking for something special."

"Bridal bouquets?" LeFou ventured, lapsing into a business-like dialect tinged with faux French intonation. " _Votre future femme est très, très chanceuse..._  We have quite a wide variety, although I'm sure your fiancée would probably prefer to be here with you while you're looking at them. If she would like to design her own bouquet, that would also warrant a personal visit."

"No, not that, either," was the reply, and LeFou couldn't help but notice that the man was blushing. "No, I'm, er... looking for a single flower. Something unique, perhaps?"

"Ah. Are you well-versed in floriography?"

"Er... no."

He chuckled. "I'll give you a crash course, then. It's essentially the language of flowers - each one has a different meaning depending on its type and color. Are you interested in a more romantic message, or something else?"

The customer flushed an even deeper red (which LeFou couldn't help but find endearing) and said, "Yes. Not a declaration of love, but... just something sweet, I suppose."

"I know just the thing." LeFou walked around the counter and crossed to the shelves, taking a clear vase down and showing the stranger a mixed bouquet of violets. "Aren't these lovely? The blue ones represent faithfulness, and - ah, the white ones are very sweet. You're basically asking someone to take a risk with you if you get these."

"No, thank you. I don't think we're quite there yet."

"I see. Hmm... maybe just a little compliment, then? Zinnias are lovely - if you're going for something like  _I think of you all the time_ , I'd recommend the yellow ones, but the white ones are my personal favorite -"

"What about those?"

He replaced the violets and then turned to look where he was pointing. "Oh! Yellow tulips. Yes, those are very sweet:  _I see sunshine in your smile._ I like those a lot."

"I'll take one of those, then," the customer said firmly.

"All right," LeFou said, plucking one from the vase, bringing it to the counter, and wrapping it in thick brown paper. "Could I just get your first name, sir?"

"Gaston."

"Very pretty," he said under his breath, writing it down in his logbook. "That will be five euros,  _monsieur_."

"Fair enough." Gaston handed him the money, took the flower, and stared at it, biting his lip.

"Is something wrong? Would you like a different one?"

"No, it's fine," he said. "It's lovely. I'm just... I'll, er..."

He set the tulip on the counter again, smiled at him, and left the shop.

And LeFou was too surprised to stop him.

 

* * *

 

" _Monsieur!_ You're back!" LeFou bubbled, his face brightening as the handsome young man from the day before entered his shop for the second time. "You forgot your flower yesterday! I've saved it for you, look -"

He showed Gaston the still-blooming tulip on the counter, perched in a glass filled with water.

"Why did you leave it here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh! Was that not clear?" Gaston looked genuinely surprised at LeFou's bewilderment. "It was for you."

"Ah!" he replied, too flustered to realize what he was getting at. "All of these flowers are mine, sir, you didn't have to -"

"Yes, I did," Gaston interrupted, not unkindly. "I'm sorry, I never do this, but... you're very sweet, and when I saw you through the window outside, I just had to come and meet you. And maybe flirt with you a bit, as well. There really is sunshine in your smile."

LeFou paused, unsure of what to say. "I... I see. I'm flattered,  _monsieur_."

"Please - Gaston." He smiled sheepishly. "I'd like to see you again, LeFou - I mean, that's why I came back, but I'm not sure how long I'll be staying here. So, er... I'd like to buy you another flower, and maybe give you my number, as well."

"Ah," he said again, still somewhat taken aback. "Do you have anything in mind today?"

"Yes," was the immediate, glowing reply. "I've been doing some research on flower language, and, er... baby's breath is what I've come up with."

"Lovely choice." LeFou produced a sprig from beneath the counter and gave it to Gaston for closer examination. "Would you like something to write your number down on?"

"That'd be great."

He handed him a little piece of cardstock and a pen and watched as he wrote the digits in a quick, neat hand.

"That'll be one euro, Gaston."

Gaston handed him the coin with a soft smile, and then presented him with the baby's breath. "Text or call."

"I will," LeFou said, his heart pounding.

 

* * *

 

> **Reply 18:37:** Hey it's LeFou from the flower shop! Is this Gaston?
> 
> **Gaston 18:39:** omg i was worried you wouldn't text
> 
> **Gaston 18:39:** yes this is gaston lol
> 
> **Reply 18:40:** Oh good, I should hope you wrote down the right number
> 
> **Reply 18:41:** The flowers you picked for me are beautiful btw. You chose well!
> 
> **Gaston 18:41:** i'm glad!!
> 
> **Gaston 18:42:** so do you want to get coffee sometime? i'm staying in villeneuve for like three more months but then i'm going home
> 
> **Reply 18:43:** I would love that but unfortunately I don't have time off until Sunday
> 
> **Gaston 18:43:** that's okay, i'm visiting my parents so i'm free like all week lol
> 
> **Reply 18:45:** Oh, you're not spending time with them?
> 
> **Gaston 18:45:** i mean i'm with them all day so like a break would be welcome lmao
> 
> **Reply 18:46:** Ah I see. Can I ask where you're from originally?
> 
> **Gaston 18:47:** i actually live in paris and i just helped my parents move down here from upper normandy. they used to live here before i was born so it's like they're finally coming home lol
> 
> **Reply 18:47:** Aww that's sweet! I've lived here all my life and I've only been to Paris a couple of times. It's so cool that you get to live there!
> 
> **Reply 18:49:** Do you like Villeneuve?
> 
> **Gaston 18:50:** yeah it's really really nice
> 
> **Gaston 18:50:** so are the people
> 
> **Gaston 18:50:** so are you
> 
> **Reply 18:51:** Awww I'm blushing!!! You're too sweet
> 
> **Gaston 18:51:** :)
> 
> **Gaston 18:52:** so if you're working for the rest of the week is it alright if i come back tomorrow and visit? i'll buy you another flower if you want lol
> 
> **Reply 18:54:** Oh that would be really nice! Maybe we could go out for lunch during my break? It's only for an hour though :/
> 
> **Gaston 18:55:** that's plenty of time
> 
> **Gaston 18:55:** i'm up for anything. what time do you want me to come in?
> 
> **Reply 18:58:** 12:45 would be fine!
> 
> **Gaston 18:58:** sounds good. i'll see you tomorrow then ;)
> 
> **Reply 19:00:** Lol okay. Looking forward to it!!

 

* * *

 

"So what's Paris like?"

Gaston took another sip of his drink and swallowed it contemplatively. "It's nice, I suppose. Loud and busy. Much better than London."

"Ah! You lived in Britain?"

"We moved there shortly after I was born here, in Villeneuve," Gaston said, and he tossed his head back to drain his mug. "This is quite good. How do I ask for more?"

LeFou chuckled and got the waiter's attention with a nod.  _"Pourrions-nous obtenir une recharge, s'il vous plaît?"_

 _"Bien sûr,"_ the waiter said, retrieving a pitcher and filling Gaston's cup to the brim with iced coffee.  _"Dois-je vous apporter le chèque, messieurs?"_

LeFou checked his watch and sighed.  _"Oui, merci beaucoup,"_ he said, before turning back to Gaston. "I should be heading back soon. Can't leave the shop alone for too long."

"Oh," said Gaston, a disappointed look on his face. "Can we see each other again when you're free?"

"Maybe we could see a movie next week," LeFou beamed. "There's a little theater down the road that everyone goes to, and they play old noir movies all the time. It's very nice."

"We'll work something out." When LeFou reached for the check, he shook his head and added, "No, no, I'll pay, of course."

"You're too kind,  _monsieur_."

"Gaston," Gaston corrected, and LeFou flashed a mischievous smile before gathering his things, standing up, and leaving.

 

* * *

 

> **Reply 21:05:** I had so much fun at the movie tonight. Thank you for taking me!!
> 
> **Gaston ✿ 21:21:** of course! it was way more romantic than i thought it would be lol. i had a great time too
> 
> **Reply 21:23:** Ikr?? I was kind of surprised you didn't kiss me ;)
> 
> **Gaston ✿ 21:23:** tbqh i was seriously considering it
> 
> **Gaston ✿ 21:24:** i was pretty nervous tho lol
> 
> **Reply 21:24:** You're adorable ♡ (btw I would've kissed you back!!)
> 
> **Gaston ✿ 21:25:** damnit now i regret everything
> 
> **Reply 21:30:** If you buy me a rose tomorrow maybe I'll give you a kiss
> 
> **Gaston ✿ 21:31:** actually i have something else in mind

 

* * *

 

"Do you even know what this means?"

"Of course," Gaston replied. "I do my research. The question is: is it worth a kiss?"

"Calla lilies and camellias?" he laughed, leaning over the counter towards the other man. "Pink  _and_ white camellias?  _Je vais vous épouser pour ces._ "

"I don't know what _that_ means," Gaston said, laughing against LeFou's lips.

 

* * *

 

> **G ✿ 3:19:** do you ever just want to go somewhere?
> 
> **G ✿ 3:21:** leave villeneuve and travel?
> 
> **Reply 7:45:** What were you doing up so late???
> 
> **Reply 7:51:** And yeah, of course lol, but Villeneuve is my home. The shop's here, my family's here, you're here
> 
> **G ✿ 7:52:** i was just, you know ,, thinking
> 
> **G ✿ 7:53:** about life
> 
> **G ✿ 7:55:** about us
> 
> **G ✿ 7:55:** i'm not sure i want to go back to paris anymore
> 
> **Reply 8:30:** Sorry for the late reply, I'm on break now. Store's really busy today!
> 
> **Reply 8:31:** But that's reasonable when you're on vacation. I'm sure once you start packing, you'll realize that you can't just stay here forever.
> 
> **Reply 8:36:** Also did you stay up all night??
> 
> **G ✿ 8:37:** if i tell you that you'll just be mad at me lol
> 
> **G ✿ 8:37:** but i'm not sure
> 
> **G ✿ 8:38:** i love villeneuve and i kind of love you?
> 
> **Reply 8:40:** Don't be silly, we've only known each other for like two months
> 
> **G ✿ 8:42:** i mean i love spending time with you
> 
> **G ✿ 8:42:** and????? i also Kind Of Do Actually Love You
> 
> **G ✿ 8:43:** i'm gonna have to go back in like three weeks and i don't want to just leave you here and never see you again
> 
> **Reply 8:44:** What are you suggesting then? Are you just going to stay in Villeneuve with me forever?
> 
> **Reply 8:44:** You have a life back in Paris and I won't keep you from it.
> 
> **Reply 8:45:** We'll talk more about this later, my break's ending
> 
> **G ✿ 8:45:** okay
> 
> **G ✿ 8:51:** i'll buy you a dog rose tomorrow lol

 

* * *

 

"We should maybe talk," LeFou murmured sleepily, pulling the sheets tighter around himself.

"No. Sleep first."

"You mentioned going back to Paris yesterday."

"Well, I had just pulled an all-nighter, and I wasn't thinking very clearly," Gaston said, turning over on his side to face LeFou. "We can talk tomorrow."

"Liar," LeFou said, moving closer to Gaston and ducking under his arm.

 

* * *

 

> **G ✿ 22:07:** can't come tomorrow. buy yourself a sweet pea for me
> 
> **Reply 22:49:**  Gaston wtf are you kidding me?????
> 
> **Reply 22:49:**  //That's// how you're going to say goodbye?
> 
> **Reply 22:50:**  Call me. NOW.

 

"What the hell, Gaston? You can't just spring this on me -"

_"Nice pun."_

"Shut up!" he fumed. "You can't send me a text and tell me to buy myself a flower that means  _departure_ and then just _leave_!"

_"I'm coming back in a few days, LeFou -"_

He snorted. "What do you mean you're coming back? You're  _lying_. No one just goes home to Paris and comes back three days later to some stupid little town in southern France - nobody just  _does that_ , Gaston."

There was a sigh on the other end of the line.  _"I'm coming back, I promise. I just have to take care of a few things at home, and then -"_

"Fine."

_"LeFou..."_

"Whatever. Why don't you text me your address so I can send you some privets?"

_"I don't know what privets are for."_

"I'm sure you'll figure it out out eventually," he spat, wrenching his phone away from his ear and pressing the "END" button.

 

* * *

 

"You look sad," his coworker said, trimming the topiaries with the critical eye of a virtuoso.

_ "Il m'a quitté." _

_"Je vois."_ There was a terse moment of silence, and then Stanley said, "You should come drinking with Tom and Dick and me. Pub's the best place for a broken heart to mend, you know."

"That's what they told you, isn't it?" LeFou said, allowing himself a small smile.

"'Course. Drunk pair of fools, they are, but sometimes, there's a bit of wisdom to be found."

 _"Il suffit de savoir quand écouter,"_ LeFou added, and Stanley chuckled.

 

* * *

 

 _"Je serai avec vous dans un moment,"_ he drawled, not bothering to look up from the record book.  _"Les poinsettias sont à moitié prix aujourd'hui, si vous êtes intéressé. Les succulents sont également en vente."_

 _"Malheureusement, je ne suis intéressé que par vous,"_ said a familiar voice, and for a moment, LeFou thought he was dreaming.

"I see you've been working on your French,  _monsieur_ ," he said, his heart fluttering as he took in the wide smile on Gaston's face. "May I ask why you're here?"

"Well, I'm sorry it took so long. I just had to end my lease with my landlord, pack all of my things, and quit my job. I wish I could say it felt like it went quickly, but it was honestly torture."

"Ah." There was a pause, and then: "So you're moving to Villeneuve?"

"Yes." Gaston cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Mostly to be closer to my parents - they're getting older, and I'm worried about them - and living in such a quaint little town is quite refreshing. But also because I couldn't exactly bring myself to leave a certain someone behind."

"And who would that be?"

"Who do you think, LeFou?"

He couldn't help but grin.  _"Moi, bien sûr."_

_ "Bien sûr." _

And he was still grinning as he walked around the counter into Gaston's open arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **French Translations (in order of appearance)**  
>  _Non, monsieur, restez-vous! Je vous donnerai un rabais!_ \- No, sir, stay! I will give you a discount!  
>  _Un moment, bon monsieur_ \- one moment, good sir  
>  _Maintenant, comment puis-je vous aider?_ \- Now then, how may I help you?  
>  _Je pas français_ \- I do not French  
>  _J'aurais dû deviner_ \- I should've guessed  
>  _Votre accent est presque aussi beau que vous_ \- your accent is as beautiful as you are  
>  _Votre future femme est très, très chanceuse..._ \- Your wife-to-be is very, very lucky...  
>  _Pourrions-nous obtenir une recharge, s'il vous plaît?_ \- Could we get a refill, please?  
>  _Bien sûr_ \- of course  
>  _Dois-je vous apporter le chèque, messieurs?_ \- Shall I bring you the check, sirs?  
>  _Oui, merci beaucoup_ \- yes, thank you very much  
>  _Je vais vous épouser pour ces_ \- I'll marry you for these  
>  _Il m'a quitté_ \- he left me  
>  _Je vois_ \- I see  
>  _Il suffit de savoir quand écouter_ \- just know when to listen  
>  _Je serai avec vous dans un moment_ \- I'll be with you in a moment  
>  _Les poinsettias sont à moitié prix aujourd'hui, si vous êtes intéressé. Les succulents sont également en vente_ \- The poinsettias are half-price today, if you're interested. The succulents are also on sale  
>  _Malheureusement, je ne suis intéressé que par vous_ \- unfortunately, I'm only interested in you  
>  _Moi, bien sûr_ \- me, of course
> 
>  **Flower Language "Translations" (in order of appearance)**  
>  Red roses - love; I love you; desire  
> Blue violet - watchfulness; faithfulness; I'll always be true  
> White violet - let's take a chance  
> Yellow zinnia - daily remembrance  
> White zinnia - goodness  
> Yellow tulip - there's sunshine in your smile  
> Baby's breath - innocence; pure of heart  
> Calla lily - magnificent beauty  
> Pink camellia - longing for you  
> White camellia - you're adorable; perfected loveliness  
> Dog rose - pleasure and pain  
> Sweet pea - blissful pleasure; goodbye; departure  
> Privet - prohibition (stay away)


	21. Shellshock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaston isn't the only one who suffers from the war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is for [my birthday giveaway](https://gastvn.tumblr.com/post/162769472747/so-my-birthdays-coming-up-in-a-little-less-than-a)! The greatest present of all is sharing my writing with you guys. Thanks so much to everyone who entered!
> 
> Prompted by [@ladycibia](http://ladycibia.tumblr.com): _Hello there! <3 First of all, I love your ficlets and the way you write ;//v//; Second point, I'd like to join your giveaway! >v< I hope you don't mind, but I'm just a sucker for sick!fics and fluff in general (ok, I usually love angst followed by fluff, followed again by angst, then once again by fluff and so on xD) and I would just love to see Gaston taking care (or at least trying) of a sick LeFou for a change <3 I hope it's alright, I can think about something else if not :) Thank you btw!_
> 
> Hope you don't mind that I changed "sick!LeFou" to "PTSD!LeFou" - Gaston still takes care of him! Let me know if you want a rewrite, though.

Gaston's night terrors were easy to treat: all it took was someone to wake him up and say his name a few times to draw him back to reality, and he'd be fine. His dreams came less and less after LeFou moved in, and they stopped altogether after they started sleeping in the same bed.

But for LeFou, it was different. He would freeze in the pose he had assumed in the trenches when someone yelled, "Grenade!" - eyes wide open, staring, unseeing, at the wall; fingers wrapped around his knees as he sat with his legs drawn up to his chest, his knuckles white; and his face clenched and tense, mouth shut like a trap.

When he was seized by those fits of terror, there was nothing Gaston could do but wrap a blanket around his shoulders and rest a hand on his arm. Trying to unfurl his rigid fingers was useless, and attempting any conversation even more so. There was nothing to do but wait - sometimes for hours on end - and sit with him.

Once, Gaston had made the mistake of leaving when LeFou was still stuck in that unnerving state of limbo. He had ventured into town with the intent of making his rounds, but when he'd returned home later that evening, his friend was nowhere to be found. The neighbors had apparently seen LeFou stumble out of the house at noon, his expression wild and his voice piercing. Gaston found him at the edge of town, a pistol in his shaking hand and mud caked to his clothes.

He didn't have the courage to ask what had happened while he was gone, so he simply brought him back to the house and held him into the early hours of the morning.

Sometimes, Gaston read to him. Shakespeare was one of his favorite haunts, but he always avoided titles like  _MacBeth_ and  _Julius Caesar_. LeFou didn't seem to do well with violence, but when Gaston focused on lighter novels, the sound of his voice seemed to calm him. Eventually, he would emerge from his stupor and shudder, clinging to Gaston with a vice-like grip and struggling not to cry.

"Just let it out," Gaston would say, brushing LeFou's hair out of his face and trying not to cry himself. "It's okay. Do you want to talk?"

"No," LeFou always said, and that was perfectly fine. Anything LeFou wanted to do was fine. If he just wanted to lie on the sofa and do nothing, that was perfectly acceptable. If he wanted to continue about his day as if nothing had happened, that was also more than all right.

And if he said he was hungry, Gaston was more than willing to cook for him.

He was awful and he knew it, but LeFou never said anything. He would eat whatever Gaston made for him (generally stew or some variant of soufflé) without complaint, his spoon clinking against the bowl as he ate like a wolf deprived of fresh meat.

Gaston never ate himself, opting to sit next to LeFou and rub his back gently. Sometimes, LeFou would stop, close his eyes for a moment, and breathe slowly, relaxing into Gaston's touch. And other times, he would ignore him, swallowing his food so quickly that Gaston feared he would choke.

Eventually, they would go to bed, and he would help LeFou out of his clothes, occasionally daring to kiss the pinkness of his skin where old wounds had healed and scarred. LeFou's body was a tapestry of war: jagged ridges on his back marked a public lashing in his early years; a few flushed, hollowed dips in his leg were where the surgeon had had to carve the bullets out with his scalpel; and there, on his left arm, were the burn marks from the sneak attack, having faded in color from red to silver as time passed. Gaston still remembered every detail of that night - how the tents blazed, and how their tattered uniforms seemed to turn to ash before their very eyes.

If Gaston had had his way, they both would've escaped the battlefield unscathed. But soldiers were rarely ever that lucky - and at least neither of them had lost a limb.

"Thank you," LeFou would say after all was said and done - once Gaston had blown out the candle and settled under the covers, wrapping an arm around his companion.

"Of course. What else could I do?"

"I don't know."

Neither of them would take the risk of finding out.


	22. I Cannot Shake This Apparition; nor Do I Want To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou sees Gaston everywhere, but every time he tries to speak, he blinks - and then he's gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is for [my birthday giveaway](https://gastvn.tumblr.com/post/162769472747/so-my-birthdays-coming-up-in-a-little-less-than-a)! The greatest present of all is sharing my writing with you guys. Thanks so much to everyone who entered!
> 
> Prompted by [@magicalwolfgirllupus](http://magicalwolfgirllupus.tumblr.com): _Hi! I'm interested in the giveaway. If I win, could you maybe write about LeFou feeling guilt about Gaston's death to the point of even thinking he sees Gaston? That or Gaston is actually there as a spirit of some sort. Whichever interests you more. Basically just a sad Gafou ficlet, Have a good day!_

"Did you see that?"

The merchant blinked confusedly. "See what,  _monsieur_?"

"Red," LeFou said, squinting into the crowd surrounding them. "Someone just walked past, and their coat was red like blood."

With a haughty laugh, the other man snatched the pear LeFou was holding from his hand and began to put his goods away. "I haven't seen anyone wearing those colors in many years, sir. Perhaps you shouldn't speak of such things in public."

"I'll speak where I damn well please," LeFou snapped, spinning on his heel and marching away from the market stall with a fierce determination.

"What do you mean, you  _saw him_?" Stanley said when he got home, yanking the curtains shut and looking at LeFou like he was crazy. "Do you know how long it's been?"

"Five years."

"Why now? Why would he come back into our lives  _today_ , of all days?" Stanley seized his hand and clasped it tightly. "You know he's dead, LeFou. You saw his body - his broken neck -"

"I know!" he said, pulling away much too quickly. "Don't you think - do you - I remember, of course I remember, I -"

"It's time to move on," his husband said - and as much as he loved Stanley, he couldn't help but despise him in that moment. "I'm going to go get the children and drop them off, and then you and I can finally relax."

"You don't believe me, then."

"Of course I don't!"

"Do you think I'm seeing things, then? Do you think I should go to a doctor?"

"I think," Stanley said slowly, his tone patronizing, "that you're tired, and that you should maybe take a nap before we leave."

Then he left the house, and it was all LeFou could do to keep himself from throwing something.

 

* * *

 

"So do _you_ think I'm crazy?" he asked Belle as she picked up a book from the floor and replaced it on the shelf where it belonged.

"Of course not. People who've lost loved ones are prone to hallucinate them, sometimes even years after they died. When my mother passed, my father kept seeing her everywhere. He was obsessed with painting her, too - capturing her likeness so that he would never forget it. It's not uncommon, and you're certainly not going mad."

"He never speaks to me," LeFou remarked, resting his hand on a nearby chair and admiring the craftsmanship. "I only see him for a few moments at a time, and if I blink or turn away, he'll vanish."

"Perhaps it's the stress," Belle suggested. "You know, your boys are growing so quickly, and it's hard to feed and take care of them. And it's not like work is easy for you... By the way, Adam and I keep meaning to tell you that you're all welcome to stay with us as long as -"

He scoffed. "No, Stanley won't have it. He says we don't need charity - and of course, it  _isn't_ charity, but you know how he is."

The princess nodded, sympathy glinting in her eyes. "Well, I'm glad we could finally convince you to come visit us, even if it's just for a few days. I'm sure you need a break from your children."

"They're lovely, of course, but they get on my nerves sometimes," LeFou joked. "Stanley is a much better father than I am."

"Mmm." They lapsed into a comfortable silence, which Belle eventually broke by asking, "Do you miss him?"

"Hmm?"

"Gaston."

He was quiet for a moment. "I suppose so. I'm sure wherever he is now, he doesn't miss  _me_."

"That's not true," Belle protested. "LeFou, he loved you. He was just scared of it, and I don't think he thought he could get away with being with you in Villeneuve."

"I guess."

"No, you  _know_."

He couldn't help but smile at that.

 

* * *

 

He saw Gaston in a mirror, reaching for LeFou's hair with a strange tenderness in his eyes.

He saw him in a palace hallway, gazing at a portrait of Prince Adam and his family with a somewhat murderous expression.

He saw him on the way back to Villeneuve, stalking through the forest with a gun slung over his back and his hunting cloak buttoned all the way up.

He saw him, but he never spoke. And he was always gone in an instant, flickering out of existence as soon as LeFou managed to get a good look at him.

"You look pale," Stanley told him as they hung their coats and hats up in the foyer. "Do you feel ill?"

"No, I'm fine. Why?"

"I don't know. You look like you've seen a ghost."

LeFou didn't have the heart to say that he had. Perhaps he would keep seeing it for the rest of his days.

And perhaps that was all right.


	23. Too Quick, Mumbled into Your Scarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Villeneuve is much too cold for LeFou's liking this time of year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by [@dodgisshipper](http://dodgisshipper.tumblr.com): _#30._
> 
> Prompted by [@dugeonkeeper](http://dugeonkeeper.tumblr.com): _Have fun with 30, curious to see what you're planning_.
> 
> Your wish is my command!

Hardly anyone came.

He was there (obviously), and Stanley, too, for moral support -  _his_ moral support, not Gaston's; that much was clear - and Père Robert. And that was it.

Perhaps if he pulled his coat tighter about himself, LeFou could pretend that no one had showed up because of the cold.

It was extraordinarily chilly for the time of year, and Stanley had made sure they were both bundled up and warm before making their way to the graveyard. If LeFou had had his way, he would've worn Gaston's coat to the funeral - but of course,  _he_ was wearing that.

No one had bothered to redress him; he was still in the clothes he had been wearing when he rallied Villeneuve to his side and led them to the castle. The gilded, tight-fitting britches, and that piercingly bright jacket that glistened as if lacquered with blood in the torchlight...

Sometimes, he had wrapped it around LeFou's shoulders when they had gone out on hunting trips and he'd caught his friend shivering in the night. Even when they weren't out in the cold, he'd occasionally let him wear it in public when he knew he would be nervous to talk to shopkeepers or merchants. It always smelt of fresh game and pine and  _Gaston_ : the motley scent of home.

It had once brought comfort to him, but now it filled him with a sense of dread.

"Would you like to say anything, LeFou?" the priest asked him, and he looked up. The coffin had been closed.

He shook his head, his breath shuddering and escaping his parted lips in great clouds of mist.

"Hmm," someone hummed from behind him.

Stanley tugged on his arm, but he didn't move. Two men came forward with shovels and dirt-streaked hands to lower the casket into the ground, mingling the once-beautiful body with whetted bone and earthworms.

He reached forward and pressed his hand against the shoddily-carved wood, aching to feel Gaston one last time.

"I love you," he said - and it was nothing like the way he'd imagined it. It was much too quick and broken, mumbled into his scarf in an attempt to keep Stanley from hearing him.

Gaston said nothing in reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tell me the way they said "I love you"](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask) (pick a number from [this list](https://gastvn.tumblr.com/post/163772336992/the-way-you-said-i-love-you))!


	24. As We Huddle Together, the Storm Raging Outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Everything in the war reminded Gaston of a storm._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by [@tubofskippy](http://tubofskippy.tumblr.com): _#20?_
> 
> (Psst - if someone wants to send me either 13 or 32, that'd be absolutely lovely.)
> 
> [[30](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483292/chapters/26601660)]

"...downright foolish," LeFou muttered, adjusting the sling around Gaston's neck. "You shouldn't have set your musket down."

"Yes, well, how was I to know that he was going to..."

There was a pause while he struggled to remember how he had been diagnosed.

"Dislocate your shoulder?" the healer offered, and he nodded.

"Yes, that."

They fell silent as LeFou reorganized his medicine bag and the battle raged from a distance. Cannon-fire was a dull imitation of thunder, the dense projectiles escaping the mouths of the culverins and exploding on the ground with a cacophony of cracks. Each squeeze of a trigger was a bolt of lightning, sparks flying from the soldiers' muzzles and occasionally singing their faces. The distraught howling of the wounded men could almost be mistaken for the wailing of a fierce wind.

Everything in the war reminded Gaston of a storm. And normally, he liked rain; the pitter-patter of raindrops on Villeneuve's cobbled roofs was a comforting, reassuring sound.

But he had since learned to despise it.

"Hey."

He looked down at LeFou, who was in a hunched-over, crouched position at the foot of the cot.

"What are you thinking of?"

"Just... rain," Gaston replied. "And you, I suppose."

"What about me?" LeFou prompted, giving him a wide, cheeky grin and a giggle that sent his heart reeling.

"Oh. That I love you."

The smile fell from LeFou's face.

"And, er - that I'm afraid," he added sloppily, "that we're going to die, and that I'm going to - that I could lose you."

That wasn't any better, was it?

His friend simply stared at him, flabbergasted. Gaston couldn't help but look away.

Then: "I love you, too."

His eyes snapped back to him, and his chest filled with warmth for the other man. LeFou stood and sat down beside him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

After a moment, Gaston pressed his face into LeFou's shoulder, beamed, and said, "I know."

And he had always known, hadn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tell me the way they said "I love you"](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask) (pick a number from [this list](https://gastvn.tumblr.com/post/163772336992/the-way-you-said-i-love-you))!


	25. In a Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeFou receives a letter while Gaston is away at war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by [Dewin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Dewin/pseuds/Dewin): _That was wonderful :) would love to read more, especially prompt 13;)_
> 
> Short and sweet! (Someone send #32 next!)
> 
> [[20](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483292/chapters/26626548)] [[30](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483292/chapters/26601660)]

She smiled jovially at him, her eyes glittering with mirth. "Someone loves you, LeFou."

He almost gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Read it yourself," she told him. "Just spell it out."

"Oh." LeFou paused, then took the letter from Belle's outstretched hands and cleared his throat.  _"I,"_ he recited, and when he looked at her again, he was inspired by her lighthearted expression that he kept going.

 _"L-O..._ that looks like -  _V... E..._ "

"Go on," Belle encouraged him.

"Um...  _Y-O... V_?"

She chuckled and said, "Close."

"Oh!  _Y-O-U_ ," he finished. " _I love you_ , and then there's my name. But who's it from?"

Belle pointed at the signature at the bottom of the page, and he swore when he saw it.

"Watch it, LeFou."

"I can't read calligraphy!" he protested, squinting at the parchment and holding it up to his eyes. "Especially not in such a small hand..."

"Perhaps you need spectacles?" his companion suggested, which coerced a laugh out of him.

"No, I don't think so." LeFou folded the letter back up and put it back in its envelope (which he had unfortunately shredded in his excitement). "Thank you for your help, even if I still don't know who sent me this."

Belle simply smiled and said, "You know who."

And of course he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tell me the way they said "I love you"](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask) (pick a number from [this list](https://gastvn.tumblr.com/post/163772336992/the-way-you-said-i-love-you))!


	26. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is discovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by [somenates27](http://somenates27.tumblr.com/): _For the ticket request, can you continue Forgotten? Thanks!_
> 
> Sorry it took so long to answer this request! I've been horribly busy, but I'll try to answer as many asks as I can over the next few months.
> 
> [[Part 1 - Forgotten](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483292/chapters/25777830)] [[Part 2 - Remembrance](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483292/chapters/25779822)]

"Witch!" he shrieked, picking up a vial of something no doubt very magical and throwing it on the floor. It neither smashed nor spilled, and he was left feeling very dissatisfied - and still infuriated.

The sorceress in question was indifferent to his rage; if anything, she was nonchalant at best. She leaned down to the pick up the bottle, rolling to and fro on the dipped, dilapidated floor of her hovel, and set it back where LeFou had originally found it.

"I understand that you're upset," she began, but he immediately cut her off with a strange, choking snort.

" _That's_ an understatement," he said. His throat was inordinately dry, and he felt that if he were to articulate what he was really feeling, it was sure to burn like sandpaper.

"I couldn't account for everything," Agathe argued, wringing her ragged skirt in her hands and effectively betraying her own anxiety. "I didn't think that the two of you would ever fall in love again -"

 _"Again?"_ LeFou hissed, nearing apoplexy. "What do you mean  _again_? When when we ever in love in the first place? It was only ever me pining after him, and his oblivious - awful - horrendous self pretending I didn't exist!"

"That's where you're wrong. He loved - he has always loved you."

"True love's kiss didn't save him," said LeFou, burying his face in his hands for a moment in an attempt to hide the wetness of his eyes. "I thought that was supposed to break any curse."

"Yes," the enchantress agreed. "It  _did_ work, it just... broke the curse keeping him alive."

He blinked at her a few times, wanting very desperately to die.

"Why didn't it let me remember  _and_ save his life, then? When Belle kissed Adam, he was brought back to life and transformed -"

"My magic," Agathe said, somewhat firmly, "has its limits. That spell spanned ten years; yours only lasted ten months. The enchantment would've grown with time - perhaps, if you had waited just a bit longer, you would've gotten your happy ending. I know that doesn't exactly do you much good now, but..."

LeFou waited for her to finish, but she trailed off, evidently lost in thought.

"Is there any way to bring him back? Is there anything I can do?"

"You can mourn," she said serenely. "Remember him as he was, and cherish the days you had that you were never meant to have."

"Yes, cherish the memory of him dropping dead at my feet," LeFou spat. He wished that she had killed him instead; that the curse had taken his life instead of Gaston's; that he had been the one to sink to his feet, his shirt smeared with scarlet blotches and his arm at a disjointed angle and his lips parted in a bitter smile...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ficlet request friday 8.18.17](https://gastvn.tumblr.com/post/164316889311/ficlet-request-friday-81817-previous-ficlets) ★ [askbox](http://gastvn.tumblr.com/ask)


End file.
